The design, style, and dimensions of the typical locations in which a large number of seats are needed (such as in auditoriums, theaters, or stadiums) can vary wildly from one venue to another. In some venues, rows of seats may be needed that curve around a stage or podium, while in other venues, straight rows of seats are required. The curvature of a curved row can also vary in degree from row to row as well as from venue to venue. The size and shape of the area for accommodating the seats can also vary from venue-to-venue; some venues may have rectangular areas for seats, while others may have triangular or oddly shaped areas. Further, many venues include various obstructions and features unique to each venue, such as support pillars, exits, concession stands, etc., that can impact the seating area. As a result of this variability between venues, rows of seats may have differing widths, the spacing between the seats can vary, and the orientation of one seat relative to a neighboring seat can vary.
The wide variability in venues makes the design, manufacture, and installation of seating systems more difficult and expensive. The variability makes it difficult to use a common system with uniform components across multiple installations. Designers and manufacturers are forced to design and create more components and more variations of components to accommodate different venues, including custom items that may only be useful in a single installation. Likewise, system sellers and installers must stock a wider variety and larger number of components.
Installation is also more difficult because of the need to employ a larger number of components. In any seating system, it is desirable to minimize the time and cost required to install the system. Minimizing the number of components required to complete installation is important to keeping the time and cost required low.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,834 to Olarte discloses a system for connecting a seat bottom to frame assemblies (legs). The seat bottom includes a pivot pin on each side of the seat bottom, each intended to be inserted into a saddle bracket mounted on each frame assembly. The '834 patent discloses that the pivot pins can be inserted into the saddle brackets over a range of angles and that varying widths between the saddle brackets can be accommodated. The '834 patent, however, does not address accommodating such variability with respect to the seat backs.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,187 to Hendrickson discloses a theater seat system where each seat back 12 is connected by a simple pivot 30 to standards 14 which include chair legs 16. The seat back 12 is also attached to a mechanism for controlling the recline angle of the seat back 12. The design of the seat system does not account for any variance in the distance or angle between standards 14, meaning that the only possible solutions are simply providing a different seat back 14 having a different size or shape or differently sized connection hardware.
The seating system design disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,531 to Koehler suffers from essentially the same drawbacks as in the '187 patent to Hendrickson. Seat back 24 is connected at an upper point 48 and a lower point 50 to chair leg 30, but, again, the only way to account for any variance in the distance or angle between the legs 30 would be to provide a seat back with a different width or shape.
What is desired, therefore, is a seating system with seat back components that can be used without substantial modification across a wider variety of venues having different layouts and dimensions. It is further desired that such a system require as little component assembly as possible during installation of the seat backs despite variability in the layout or dimensions of a venue. It is further desired that the system provide installers with as many degrees of freedom as possible for positioning the seat backs during installation.